** Crews rush to contain an oil spill in Louisiana marshes that’s already released more than 23,000 gallons of crude oil, although the exact amount remains unknown.
** Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy asserted on Wednesday that “people will lose their lives” unless the United States invests in a new air traffic control system. He aised extreme concerns about the U.S.’s “aging” air traffic control infrastructure.
** Slate Auto, the Jeff Bezos-backed EV startup, confirmed to Business Insider on Tuesday that its $25,000 electric pickup would be assembled at a former printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana.
** GM is recalling 721,000 SUVs and trucks worldwide due to engine issues that could lead to a loss of power and boost the risk of a crash, the company announced on Tuesday.
** The Trump administration this week summarily dismissed more than 400 scientists and other experts who had begun to write the latest National Climate Assessment report, informing them by email that the scope of the report was being reevaluated.
** General Motors’ Orion Assembly Plant may not exclusively produce fully electric vehicles after its retooling, according to a published report, as the automaker adjusts production to address consumer demand.
** A bipartisan proposal in Maine would charge EV owners an annual $250 registration surcharge to help make up for lost gas tax revenue.
** Louisiana lawmakers consider legislation to regulate solar farms by creating approval processes at three agencies and requiring mile-long buffers between solar projects and residential properties, but there’s little consensus from property owners, developers, and the petrochemical sector.
** National Park Service officials express concerns a proposed Kentucky solar farm could negatively affect the ecosystem at Mammoth Cave National Park.
World
** Ukraine and the US sign a rare earth minerals deal, a move that could keep military aid flowing to Kyiv following worries that President Trump might scale back the support.
** Russia’s finance ministry raised the 2025 budget deficit estimate to 1.7% of gross domestic product (GDP) on Wednesday from 0.5% after reducing the energy revenues forecast by 24% due to expectations of a prolonged period of low oil prices.
** Fierce debate raged in Spain on Wednesday over the role its reliance on renewable energy may have had in this week’s blackout which disrupted millions of lives, though officials sought to downplay any potential link.
** BYD Co., a Chinese carmaker, unveiled a groundbreaking fleet of electric vehicles. The EVs could change the game in the industry, as they can be recharged in the same amount of time as it takes to refill gas-powered vehicles.
** One hundred and five countries supplied crude petroleum oil to mainland China in 2024. That number includes relatively minor oil suppliers to China including France, Iran, Spain and Sweden.